Presentation used at the sustainable transport talk on 26-Jan-2013 at Jaaga.

1. Sustainable transport
My story

2. Who I am
Mechanical Engineer.
Founder-Director of a firm that makes products
for the manufacturing industry.
52 years old.
Owner of THE sexiest pair of legs in my
gym, one of the sexiest pair of legs in
town – because of cycling.

3. Me, B.S.
(Before Sustainable-transport, or in the Bull-shit era)
Q: What do you want for your children ?
My bullshit answer : Healthy childhood, nice
environment, lots of space to play in, blah, blah.
The fact: My vehicle polluting my
daughter's air, destroying her trees,
occupying her parks and footpaths –
destroying her childhood.
I decided : “Enough bullshit,
Let me walk the talk”.

4. Sustainable transport saga
2000 2011
As I grew professionally and made more money, my brain
started getting smaller, my vehicle started getting bigger.
Brain suddenly grew in 2000, and I started seeing sense,
started using a bicycle and public transport.

5. Sustainable transport saga
In the corporate world, your and your company's
economic health are judged by the size of your car.
In 2011 I decided that I would confuse people, no longer
allow them to play the 'judging' game. Sold the Ford
Fusion, bought a 20 year old, 3rd hand Gypsy jeep for Rs.
1.5 Lakhs. Got it repainted lemon yellow.
She has a name – Nimboo.
Now it's “He's one of those jeep nuts“.

6. My modes of transport
Cycle. Everywhere, including commuting to
Office. Office commute is 26 km. The bike IS my
Vehicle, to go anywhere at all.
+
Bus
+
Auto
+
Car – occasionally, typically with the family,
on weekends, very rarely alone.
Cycling 80 %, bus/auto 20 % of the time.

7. Log kya kahenge ?
Thumbs up from automobile drivers at traffic signals.
No idea what it means. They think I'm having fun ? I'm
doing something good ?
Children waving fom school buses.
Everyone in my industry knows I cycle, go by bus -
from newspaper articles, TV. Gained respect, not
ridicule.

8. Cycling ? Unsafe?
Have travelled 60,000 km. (equivalent to 1.5 times
around Earth) just commuting to work over past 13 years.
Still alive and kicking.
Zero accidents, not even a scratch.

9. What cycling has done for me
Hot legs
Athletic heart – heart rate 60 instead of 72.
Impoved lung capacity – better than most people.
High physical stamina.
No Monday morning blues.

10. Who's responsible for this?
Who da culprit ? I da culprit !
Who can fix it ? I can fix it !

11. What each of us can do
Cycle or walk to neighbourhood shops.
Whenever possible, take a bus or auto instead
of your personal vehicle.
Start with 10 % of travel using sustainable transport,
90 % in personal automobile.
Gradually increase. Aim for 90 % in sustainable transport,
10 % in personal automobile.

12. Do whatever little you can ,
towards sustainable transport.
Don't do nothing just
because you cannot do
everything.